Junior Varsity Basketball- Crispus Attucks vs Liberty Christian

A great game that came down to the closing moments. These players had performances that made them all worthy of being acknowledged in a Prephoops article.    Traveon is a shot maker! He's a good ball handler who easily drove around defenders and made plays. Traveon is a legit shooter who was never afraid of searching for his shot. He knocked down multiple threes, attacked the basket and found ways of dishing out assists to his teammates. There was a moment in the game when Traveon used a great step-back move to free himself for an open look at the basket. This allowed him to knock down a jump-shot despite being closely defended. Whenever Attucks had an opportunity to push the ball up-court, Traveon showed the ability to finish strong in transition. Defensively, he used quick hands and great footwork to be a problem for opposing guards. Traveon is a good player who has an opportunity to become even greater as he grows and matures.     This young man was the team's “glue guy”. Allen is an excellent rebounder who crashed the boards on both ends of the court. He led his team in rebounds, steals and hustle plays. I really had an appreciation for the intensity he showed on the basketball court. Allen literally fought for every rebound like it was his last. Whenever his teammates missed shots, he was in the paint rebounding and scoring offensive put-backs. On numerous occasions, Allen showed the ability to make shots on the perimeter. When the team had opportunities to score transition baskets, he proved to be a great finisher. In my opinion, Allen was the best defensive player on the floor. He blocked shots, grabbed defensive rebounds, forced turnovers and defended every area of the basketball court.     Andrew is a shooting guard who has the ability to play with power and finesse. He scores in the low post by taking advantage of smaller defenders. Most of his touches in the paint led to high percentage shots. Andrew is a great mid-range shooter who is capable of extending his range beyond the three-point line. In the first half of play, he knocked down three in the match-up against Liberty Christian. Andrew is a great rebounder! He attacked the glass with the same ferocity as he did when he looked to score. Andrew is the kind of player who believes in teamwork. He set screens, played physically and continuously made the right plays. I saw a composed player with a high basketball IQ. In my opinion, he is skilled enough to become a focal point of the Attucks offense. With his abilities, I expect Andrew to play a crucial role in the team's success this season.     Isaiah is a shifty combo guard who is capable of being a scorer or facilitator. In Tuesday's game against Liberty Christian, Isaiah made an instant impact when he stepped on the court. His style of play energized his teammates. Especially, when he knocked in a long three. He got fired up and went on a scoring spree. This led to him knocking down multiple threes and scoring in the paint. Isaiah finished the game with 20 points. He showed the capability of being a legit play-maker! Most of his assists led to positive outcomes for the team. He showed great leadership when he communicated with teammates and ran precise plays offensively. In some instances, Isaiah attacked the basket and finished with tough lay-ups. He showed a fire to compete at every facet of the game. No matter what obstacles stood in front of him, Isaiah finished the game strong. He played an aggressive style of defense that led to multiple steals throughout the game.     A shifty small forward with the ball handling skills of a guard. Drayden easily drove around his defenders and scored. Whether it was attacking the basket, scoring in transition, knocking down mid-range shots or extending his range beyond the three-point line, Drayden found ways to be effective on the basketball court. He's a great rebounder who attacked the glass whenever he had the opportunity. Most of his rebounds led to second chance scoring opportunities for his teammates or himself. Defensively, he was great at using his length to be disruptive against Attucks players. Drayden is a promising player who I expect to have a major impact on the Lions 2026/2027 season.     Joe is a play-making combo guard who is more scorer than facilitator. He has the ability to get his teammates involved with great passing skills. I view him as a pure scorer. Joe excelled at getting to the basket, making acrobatic lay-ups or knocking down three-pointers. He's adept at scoring with either hand. Whenever he needed to beat a defender going right or left, he did so. Joe has a nice pull-up game from mid-range. I watched him knock down these shots regularly throughout the game. He was great at creating the space he needed to shoot over opposing defenders. Defensively, he forced three steals by shooting the pass lanes and intercepting careless passes thrown by Attucks players. Joe is a good scoring guard who is capable of filling up the stat sheet. .     Ethan is the type of player who does everything for his team. When the Lions needed scoring, he gave it to them. If the team needed a crucial rebound, he battled for it. Whenever a play was needed defensively, Ethan made it happen. He's a strong low post player who used his size to effectively score in the paint. Anytime he established good post position, more than likely he scored. Ethan was great at grabbing offensive rebounds and scoring around the basket. He showed the ability to knock down mid-range jump-shots when given the opportunity. Ethan is an excellent interior post defender. I watched him block multiple shots, protect the paint and make scoring a difficult task for the opposition. He excelled at altering the shots attempts from Attucks players.

A great game that came down to the closing moments. These players had performances that made them all worthy of being acknowledged in a Prephoops article.